US960022A

US960022A - Gang-plank.

Info

Publication number: US960022A
Application number: US50776709A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andrew Kelemen; Stephen Lazar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-07-15
Filing date: 1909-07-15
Publication date: 1910-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 1927-05-31

Description

A. KELEMEN & s. LKZAiR.

GANG PLANK. APPLIUATION FILED JULY 15. 1909.

Patentd Ma'y 31, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

is w whwooeo A. KELEMEN 6; S. LAZAR.

Patented May 31, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 21 ii'rwentow A. KE LEMEN & s. LKZAR.

, GANG PLANK.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 15. 1909. 960,022, Patented May 31, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ANDREW KELEMEN AND STEPHEN LAZAR," OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

GANG-PLANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 15, 1909. Serial No. 507,767.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW KELEMEN and STEPHEN LAZAR, subjects of the King of Hungary, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gang-Planks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to gang-planks, and the invention has for its primary object to provide a foldable or collapsible gang-plank, that can be easily extended to provide safe passage of a person from the deck of a vessel to the wharf or vice versa.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gang-plank constructed on the principle of lazy tongs, the various planks being easily and compactly folded when the gangplank is not in use, and quickly extended and adjusted to place the planks in position to be traversed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible gang-plank that can be easily used upon a ship deck for landing persons, or upon a wharf for loading persons, and the gang-plank can also be usede; as a draw bridge in connection with small streams and canals. g

The above objects are attained by a strong and durable structure that has been particularly designed for a ship deck, particularly cruising ships and river boats, that have wharves and landing places that do not al- 36 ways conform to the unloading or discharge passage of a boat or ship, it often being necessary to place a gang-plank at such an inclination that the same cannot be safely ascended or descended, This is particularly 40 true in connection with river boats using gang-planks without railings.

In constructing our improved gang-plank, we have made provision 'for adjusting the same longitudinally and vertically,-whe'reby it will not be necessary fora boat to run any danger of rounding by moving too far in shore to lea vor unload passengers. The gang-plank can also be used to an advantage at sea in transferring passengers. from one boat to another, irrespective of the size'of the boats.

The invention will be hereinafter considered in detail and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the arms consisting 1 invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof can be varied or changed, as to the size, shape and manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gang-plank in'- an extended elevated position in full lines, and in an extended and lowered osition in dotted lines, Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the same, Fig. 3 is a similar view'showin a portion of the gangplank collapsed or olded, Fig. 4 is a plan of one of the planks, and Fig. 5 is an elevzlitigp of a lock, forming partof the gangp a In the drawings, 1 denotes a boat deck or wharf landing for a horizontal revoluble platform 3, said platform being provided with anti-friction rollers or wheels 4, permitting of the platform being easily swung in a horizontal lane, whereby the gangplank can be used from either side of a boat deck or wharf landing.

Patented May 31, 1910.

5 denotes vertical parallel standards carried by the platform 3, and 'revolubly mounted 1n said standards is a transverse shaft 6 having that portion thereof between 12 denotes toothed sectors loosely mounted upon the shaft 6 at the inner sides of the standards 5. The sectors 12. are adapted to mesh with pinions 13 mounted u ona transverse shaft 14, journaled in tilting bars 15, mounted on the shaft 6 between the standards 5 and the sectors 12, Thestepped end 10 of the plank 8" is provided with bearings 16 for the shaft 14, and said shaft at the sides of the plank 8 is provided with disks 17, to shield the pinions 13 from persons walking upon the plank 8;

18 denotes lazy tong links 1pivotally connected to the upper ends of t e bars 15, as at 19, and 20 denotes lazy ton links pivotally connected to the lower en s of the sectors 12, as at- 21. The

links

18 and 20 are pivotally connected together by a transverse axle 22, and these .linksform the main support for two parallel lazy tong' arms, the of links .23, similar to the links 18, and nks 24 similar to the links 20, said links being pivotally connected intermediate their ends by transverse axles 25, and their ends pivotally connected together by

bolts

26 and 27.

28 denotes planks pivotally connected to stirrups 29 suspended from bolts 27, said planks having the rear ends thereof fixed to the axles 22v and 25... The outerends of the planks 28 are provided with connecting hooks 30 similar to the hooks 9, while the rear ends of said planks are provided with sockets 31 adapted to receive the connecting hooks 9 and 30 when the planks longitudinally aline. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the planks 8 and28 are preferably made of rectangular frames provided with transverse slats 32, to provide sure footing, as well as the rapid removal of dirt and water that might accumulate upon va gang-plank. The links 23 at the outer ends of the lazy tong arms have the lower ends thereof provided with steps 32 supported by the axle 25, and a transverse pin 33 connecting the lower ends of the links 23. The pin 33- adjacent to the links 23- is provided with revoluble rollers 34, whereby the outer end of the ang-plank can be easily moved over a sur ace, as. a ship deck or wharf landing. I

To provide a railing forthe gang-plank, the links 18 and 23 are provided with angula r extensions 35, and these. extensions are p1v0tally connected to links 36, which are pivotally connected together, as at 37. The outermost links 36 are connected to the outermost links 24, while the innermostdinks 36 connect the links 18 with the upper ends of the sectors 12, as at 38.

The lazy tong arms of the gang-plank are adjusted by moving the sectors 12 through the medium of the pinions 13, and this is accomplished by providing the shaft 14 with rectangular ends 39 forcranks .40. Byrotating the cranks 40, the sectors 12 can be swung to open or close the gang-plank.

The mechanism employed for raising and lowering the outer end of the gang-plank comprisestoothed pitmen 41 pivotally con-.

nected to the lower curved ends 42 of the bars 15, thepitmenextending u wardly between anti-friction rollers-43 an pinions 44,

said pinions meshing with the, teeth of the pitmen. -The anti-friction rollers 43 are revolubly mounted upon a transverse shaft 45 connecting the standards 5, while the-pinions 44rare mounted upon a transverse shaft 46 journaled in the standards 5. One. end of the shaft 46 is provided with a large wheel 47 meshing with a small gear whee 48 mounted upon a shaft :49, journaled-in one ofthe standards 5, and the brackets, 50 car riedbyfsaid standard.- A crank51 is-fitted upon the end of the shaft 49 for rotating the.

gear wheels 47 and 48 to raise and 'lower the pitmen 41;

To lock thepitrnenin an adjusted-posiscopes tion, the bracket 50 is provided with a lock, comprising a spring pressed pawl 52, movably mounted in bearings 53 carried by the inner side of the bracket 50. The pawl is adapted to engage the gear wheel 48, and prevent said gear wheel from rotating. The outer end of the pawl is bent, as at 54, to engage an end of the bracket 50 and retain the pawl out of engagement with the gear wheel 48. lVhen the end of the pawl is disengaged. from the bracket, a sprin 55 encircling said pawl is adapted to retain he pawl in engagement with the gear wheel 48.

In order that the pitmen 41 can be adjusted, the standards 5 are provided with segment-shaped slots 56, these slots being described with a radius having for its center the shaft 6, so that irrespective of the position of the bars 15, the shaft 14 can be rotated to open or close the gang-plank.

In connection with the plank 8, we provide a detachable stairway" 57 having the upper end thereof provided with a connecting hook 58 to engage in the socket 11 of the plank S. The lower end of this stairway is supported by a revoluble wheel 59, and the stairway is provided with a suitable railing 60.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the gangplank can be easily opened and closed, and when in an open position adjusted whereby the outer 'end of the gang-plank will be supported either in a vraised or lowered position relative to the plank 8, allowing passengers either to ascend or descend with perfect safety.

The gang-plank can be advantageously used as. a draw bridge inconnection with canals and such bodies of water where it is impossible to maintain a permanent structure, and by suitably anchoring the revoluble. platform 3, the gang-plank or draw bridge can be made of considerable length.

Having now described our invention What we claim as new, is z 1. A gang plank, comprising-standards, a shaft journaled in said standards, a. lank' fixed to said shaftbetween said stan ards, toothed sectors loosely mounted 'upon said shaft, bars fixed uponsaid shaft, lazy-ton arms connecting with said .bars and said toothed sectors, planks arranged between said arms and adapted to aline with the first mentioned plank, collapsible railings supported: by said arms and connecting-with said toothed sectors, means carried by said bars for moving'said toothed sectors, and means arranged between said standards for Iri'aising and lowering the lower ends of said ars.

2. A gang-plank comprising standards, a shaft journaled in. saidstandards, a plank fixed to said shaft between said standards, toothed sectors loosely mounted upon said shaft, bars fixediupon said shaft, lazy ton arms connectingwith said bars and sai toothed sectors, planks, arranged between said arms and adapted to aline with the first mentioned plank, collapsible railings supported by said arms and connecting with said toothed sectors, means carried by said bars for moving said toothed sectors, means arranged between said standards for raising and lowering the lower ends of said bars.

3. A gang-plank comprising a revoluble platform, standards carried by said platform, a shaft journaled in said standards, a plank fixed upon said shaft between said standards, toothed sectors loosely mounted upon said shaft, a shaft journaled in the lower ends of said bars, pinions mounted upon said shaft and meshing with said toothed sectors, lazy tong arms connecting with said sectors and said bars, movable planks supported between said arms and adapted to longitudinally aline, a collapsible railing supported by said arms and connecting with said sectors, toothed pitmen connecting with the lower ends of said bars, revoluble pinions supported between said standards and meshing with said toothed sectors, means for revolving said pinions, and means for locking the last mentioned means in a closed position.

4. 'A gang-plank comprising a revoluble platform, standards carried by said platform, a shaft journaled in. said standards, a plank fixed upon said shaft between said standards, toothed sectors loosely mounted upon said shaft, bars fixed upon said shaft, a shaft journaled in the lower ends of said bars, pinions mounted upon said shaft and meshing with said toothed sectors, lazy tong arms connecting with said sector and said bar, movable planks supported between said arms and adapted to longitudinally aline, means for connecting the ends of said planks, a collapsible railing supported by said arms and connecting with said sectors, toothed pitmen connecting with the lower ends of said bars, revoluble pinions supported between said standards and meshing with said toothed pitmen, means for revolving said pinions, and means for locking the last mentioned means in a fixed position.

5. A gang-plank comprising a revoluble platform, standards carried by saidplatform, a shaft journaled in said standards, a plank fixed upon said shaft between said standards, toothed sectors loosely mounted upon said shaft, bars fixed upon said shaft,

a shaft journaled in the lower ends of said bars, pinions mounted upon said shaft and meshing with said toothed sectors, lazy tong arms connecting with said sectors and said bars, movable planks supported between said arms and adapted to longitudinally aline, means for connecting the ends of said planks, a collapsible railing supported by said arms and connecting with said sectors, toothed pitmen connecting with the lower ends ofsaid bars, revoluble pinions supported between said standards and meshing with said toothed pitmen, means for revolving said pinions, means for locking the last mentioned means in a fixed position, and a stairway adapted to connect with the first mentioned plank.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

' ANDREW KELEMEN.

STEPHEN LAZAR.